Tappan Zee Bridge

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Tappan Zee Bridge

Official name	The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge
Carries	7 lanes (3 northbound, 3 southbound, 1 reversible) of I-87/I-287 (New York State Thruway)
Crosses	Hudson River
Locale	South Nyack, New York and Tarrytown, New York
Maintained by	New York State Thruway Authority
Design	Cantilever bridge
Longest span	1,212 feet (369 m)
Total length	16,013 feet (4,881 m)
Clearance below	138 feet (42 m)
AADT	135,000
Opening date	December 15, 1955
Toll	$4.00 (southbound) (E-ZPass)
Coordinates	41°04′13″N, 73°52′51″W

The Governor Malcolm Wilson Tappan Zee Bridge, almost always referred to as the Tappan Zee Bridge or simply the Tappan Zee (though this can cause confusion with the body of water for which it is named) is a cantilever bridge in New York over the Hudson River at its widest point, the Tappan Zee, named for an Indian tribe from the area called the "Tappan" ("Zee" being the Dutch word for "sea"). In 1994, the name of Malcolm Wilson, a former Governor of New York was added to the bridge's name, though it is almost never used when the bridge is spoken about colloquially. It connects Nyack in Rockland County with Tarrytown in Westchester County. Construction started in March 1952 and it was opened for traffic on December 15, 1955. The total length of the bridge and approaches is 16,013 feet (just over 3 miles, 4.881 km). The cantilever span is 1212 feet (369.42 meters) providing a 138-foot (42-meter) clearance over the water. The bridge is located about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan and the Manhattan skyline can easily been seen from the bridge on a clear day.

The bridge is part of the New York State Thruway mainline, and also designated as Interstate 87 and Interstate 287. The span carries seven lanes of automotive traffic, with the center lane being switchable between eastbound and westbound traffic depending on the prevalent commuter direction. On business days, the center lane is eastbound in the morning and westbound in the evening. This is accomplished via a movable center barrier that is moved by a pair of barrier transfer machines, though traffic along I-87/I-287 is frequently very slow across the bridge, and it's usually the highlight of rush-hour traffic reports.

Most eastbound car traffic is subject to a toll of $4.00 as of July, 2006, payable in cash or via E-ZPass.

1 A New Tappan Zee Crossing?
2 The Tappan Zee in popular culture
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] A New Tappan Zee Crossing?

The Tappan Zee Bridge as seen from Rockefeller State Park Preserve

The deteriorating structure, combined with concern of over-usage by increased traffic over the bridge has led to plans to repair the bridge or replace it with a tunnel or a new bridge [1] (pdf). These plans and discussions have been whittled down to 6 options and are currently in the environmental review stage. Part of the justification for the replacement or restoration of the bridge has been that the materials used to construct it were relatively deficient due to material shortages during the Korean War. Statements that the bridge was constructed with a 50 year lifespan in mind, however, have not been substantiated. [2]

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is studying the feasibility of either including a rail line across the new bridge or building the new bridge so a new rail line can be installed at a future date. The rail line, if built, will be located on a lower level, beneath the car lanes. Commuter rail service west of the bridge in Rockland County, New York is limited, and the MTA is studying expansion possibilities in Rockland County utilizing the new bridge to connect with the Hudson Line (Metro-North) on the east side of the bridge along the Hudson River for direct service into Manhattan. [3]

This article contains information about a planned or expected future road.
It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change dramatically as the road's construction and/or completion approaches and more information becomes available.

[edit] The Tappan Zee in popular culture

In a song in Maurice Sendak's animated film and stage production Really Rosie, the title character claims she will "tap across the Tappan Zee."
The first line of the Fountains of Wayne song Little Red Light on the album Welcome Interstate Managers is "Sitting in traffic on the Tappan Zee".
The bridge can be seen out of the train windows during the dinner scene between Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint on the train in North by Northwest.
In news reports, the bridge is seen when reporting of many suicides committed. Mile markers on the bridge are used to report an accident or jumper.